Loving Vincent review: A poignant portrait of a revolutionary artist

Over the past seven years, more than 100 artists have recreated the paintings of Vincent van Gogh, with actors filmed against green screens then painted frame by frame on to the canvas.

The result is absolutely gorgeous, like stepping into a Van Gogh painting where the swirls and daubs of paint convey a starry night sky, golden haystacks or a flock of crows in flight.

A year after Van Gogh’s death, Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth) is given the task of delivering the painter’s final letter to his brother Theo, unaware that Theo is dead.

Armand’s attempt to gain a sense of who Van Gogh was and why he committed suicide unfolds like a detective story as he questions a range of his friends and acquaintances, from paint supplier Père Tanguy (John Sessions) and The Boatman (Aidan Turner) to his doctor Gachet (Jerome Flynn) and the doctor’s daughter Marguerite (Saoirse Ronan).

There are jarring elements in the production, including the British accents and a tacky song over the closing credits. But this is still a poignant portrait of a revolutionary artist.